October 26th, 2015 - The Quick Update

Well this hour and a half is just a little too stressful sometimes. I found out a few weeks back that the massive box of bananas that the member family gave us had 130 bananas in it that we ate in about 2 weeks haha.... pretty amazing.

I happened upon some cool personal revelation a while back regarding time. It mentions in the scriptures something along the lines of 1000 years of our time being a day in the Lord's time and time not really mattering to Him. I've come to recognize that as I am in the work of the Lord..... I seem to feel that way at times too. I definitely got off the plane in the CCM in Lima, Peru last week. It seems to be that as we try to manage taking on an infinitely small fraction of the work that the Lord does out here int he mission field.... we get the slightest glimpse of what time should really feel like. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we know that the amount of time we have here on Earth is very small in comparison to the eternity in which or spirits live. The ONLY reason to keep track of time here on Earth is because this mortal life has a beginning and end.... afterwards time doesn't matter because we are living in an eternity.

One other cool piece of revelation.... I had to carry a box of about 31 Libros de Mormón almost a mile in PURE sauna heat and a suit from our pensionista's house to our house almost a mile a way one day a few weeks back. I came to find that it became pretty difficult at times and thought about the fact that carrying the word of God (or analogically speaking, keeping the commandments) should never feel like a burden.... that although it may seem difficult in the moment, and we might even feel sore over a small period of time after making a difficult decision to keep the commandments or carry Books of Mormon a long way.... we benefit in the long run, are blessed, and become stronger.
Anyway.... this week was REALLY rough.... depression hit me pretty hard again as we found ourselves in the true 100+ degree purely humid Bolivian weather, in church clothes (and now I have compression sleeves for my legs under my socks), to teach 2 recent convert lessons, 2 less active lessons, 3 lessons with a member, and 3 other lessons for our ENTIRE week.... spending every other second trying to find someone else to teach in the brutal heat. I also only got about 4 or 5 hours of sleep last night after waking up to throw up for a couple hours last night after eating something bad.... plus the best companion ever is leaving in a week.... The Lord has strengthened me to press forward.

Elder Van Horne

October 19th, 2015 - Winding Down Training

Family and Friends,

I had an amazing birthday yesterday and sang Un Pobre Forastero (A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief) with the ward choir and Elder Garcia for the ward conference we had yesterday. The first verse solo in Spanish, the 5th verse in English with Elder Garcia, and all the other verses except verse 6 with a choir of about 15 ppl in front of 201 people at ward conference.... I've found my talent for singing has only increased as I have prayed for it to touch the hearts of others. I've also sung at 2 baptisms just on the spot with no practice in full Spanish.

I had 4 different types of pizza, brownies, way to much coca cola, cake, and cinnamon rolls yesterday on top of receiving some foreign money, a sweet sweater, and a little Bolivian key chain as gifts and a beautiful picture of the Payson, UT temple that Elder Garcia wrote on the back of for me.... so I guess you could say the members are pretty amazing here in our ward. :)

I started reading a chapter of the Book of Mormon and El Libro de Mormón each morning during personal study and I'm already in 2 Nefi 13 now. :) Way cool way to learn the stories, doctrine, and Spanish.

We found a guy that is from Indiana in our area, speaks Spanish too, professional CrossFit trainer that has opened Bolivia's only 5 CrossFit gyms, but shattered his knee cap recently, his name is Mark Hooley, we're hoping to get a teaching appointment with him soon.

Everything is going great.... still don't ever have enough time to say everything I want to.... but I'm adjusting nicely to everything. The real heat is kicking in down here as we move into summer.... I invite you to check the weather and humidity sometime for this area when you get the chance or possibly just step into the nearest sauna in full missionary attire and then try to teaching a gospel lesson in a language you don't know haha.

Transfers will be in the first week of November, I should be staying here.... hopefully training. Elder Garcia leaves me November 1st or 2nd, and goes home on the 6th. SUPER sad and started bawling in our last zone conference this week when he gave his final testimony.... he's been an absolute answer to prayers.... I hope you all get to meet him and he can tell you more about our adventures (lives in Mapleton, UT).

Love you all.

Love,

Elder Van Horne

It rained pretty hard a few weeks back. Got surprisingly cold.... good thing we were prepared.

October 12th, 2015 - Pic

Suited out for conference last week.

October 5th, 2015

TONS of spiritual revelation this week, all written down and recorded for later, PLEASE review and treasure up continually the words of the prophets especially this last conference that was AMAZING! Rough time with all investigators this week because we had a ton of meetings but I made a TON of progress. Amazingly cool and cloudy weather the whole week, an obvious answer to my and I'm sure many other's prayers to stay out of the low 100's practically 100% humidity typical weather to Bolivia. Several intercambios I've had with other missionaries these past few weeks has solidified my urgency to ingrain all of the incredible talents and techniques that my trainer and companion easily puts into practice on the daily and so far I have made a lot of progress preparing to be a trainer myself if the need be. I only have him until November 1st and then he goes home on November 6th.... sad day.

Our pensionista got us some sweet customized mini white boards I've been using to learn new Spanish vocab and he also got us a little Bolivian whistle key chain.... so cool of him. Their family is awesome. Got some great compliments from president and wife this past week when they randomly stopped by our district meeting again (RARE for everyone else) they are AMAZED at my progress and excellence and Spanish abilities.... so I'm sure a tough calling is soon to come. Conference was an English SANCTUARY for me this week.... so comforting and wonderful.
....I've been called to this tough of an area for a mission because the Lord knew I could handle it and grow more because of it.... I tackled that challenge this week and have grown exponentially so.... LOVING the mission life!

We don't get to see too much wildlife since we're in the city but I have seem one huge lizard that was too fast for me to get a pic of, some sweet butterflies, dogs, cats, chickens, roosters, various parrots and other birds.